Filter bag mounting means for suction cleaner



Oct. 5, 1965 c. B. SMXTHSON 3,209,523

FILTER BAG MOUNTING MEANS FOR SUCTION CLEANER Filed Nov. 1, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 P i l 4 INVEIYTOR.

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FILTER BAG MOUNTING MEANS FOR SUCTION CLEANER Filed Nov. 1, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 g9 g6 F3.

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United States Patent 3,209,523 FILTER BAG MOUNTING MEANS FOR SUCTION CLEANER Charles B. Smithson, loomington, Ill., assignor to N ationa! Union Electric Corporation, Stamford, Conn., a

corporation of Delaware Filed Nov. 1, 1960, Ser. No. 66,543 10 Claims. (Cl. 55-374) This invention relates to suction cleaners and more particularly to a novel means for mounting a filter bag therein.

In suction cleaners of the type utilizing an inexpensive disposable filter bag of air pervious paper or the like, it is quite important to provide a simple and effective mounting means enabling housewives and other users to replace a used filter 'bag in a rapid and troublefree manner. Various means for detachably supporting such filter bags have been proposed heretofore but the present invention affords a novel mounting arrangement which is simple and inexpensive. Furthermore, the invention embodies an inexpensive filter bag having a unique cooperation with the mounting structure within the cleaner.

Accordingly, a primary object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved means for detachably mounting a disposable filter bag in a suction cleaner.

A further object of the invention is to provide a novel combination in a suction cleaner of a bag support means and a replaceable filter bag.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved filter bag for a suction cleaner.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become evident from the subsequent detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a small scale perspective view of a suction cleaner embodying one specific form of the bag mounting arrangement of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken substantially diametrically through the cleaner shown in FIG. 1 but on a slightly larger scale;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary elevational view taken substantially along the line 33 of FIG. 2 and showing certain structural details of the bag mounting arrangement;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary cross-sectional view taken substantially along the line 44 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken substantially along the line 55 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 6 is an exploded view showing the manner in which the filter bag is manipulated during attachment to the mounting device;

FIG. 7 is a view similar to FIG. 6 showing the relationship of the parts after the bag has been secured to the mounting device;

FIG. 8 is a top plan View of a filter bag embodying the features of the invention, the bag being shown in its flat unmounted condition; and

FIG. 9 is an enlarged scale side view of the bag shown in FIG. 8.

Referring first to FIG. 1, a suction cleaner is shown which includes a generally circular external casing comprising a lower section 11 having a plurality of supporting rollers or casters 12 and an upper section or cover 13 connected to the lower section 11 by means of a hinge structure 14. As best seen in FIG. 5, the cover 13 has a peripheral rim portion 16 which mates with a complementary peripheral nm portion 17 on the lower section 11, and a furniture guard 18 of rubber or the like is mounted on the rim portion 16 with an inwardly projecting gasket portion 19 extending between the rim portions 16 and 17 for insuring an airtight seal therebetween when t 3,209,523 C6 Patented Oct. 5, 1965 the cover is closed. Diametrically opposite the hinge 14, a resilient latch 20, shown in FIG. 2, is mounted on the cover 13 and cooperates with the rim portion 17 on the lower casing section 11 for releasably securing the casing sections together. The details of the latch arrangement are described and claimed in my copending application Serial No. 65,995, filed October 31, 1960, now US. Patent No. 3,081,478, issued March 19, 1963. A handle 25 is attached to the upper surface of the cover 13 for carrying the cleaner from one location to another. The lower casing section 11 has mounted centrally therein a motor-fan unit 21 which discharges air in the usual manner through a laterally extending outlet (not shown) in the side wall of the casing section 11.

As best seen in FIGS. 2 and 5, the side wall of the cover 13 is formed with a tubular air inlet 22. Aflixed to the exterior of the casing section 13 is a nozzle connector plate 23 having an opening 24 in register with the inlet 22 for detachably mounting a cleaning tool hose connection (not shown). The nozzle connector plate 23 is combined in an integral structural unit with the upper half of the hingle structure 14, but the details of this arrangement form no part of the present invention and are described and claimed in my copending application Serial No. 66,465, filed November 1, 1960, now Patent No. 3,149,362.

The filter bag support, designated generally at 26, comprises a generally upright plate member 27 extending upwardly from the lower casing section 11 at a slight inward inclination (FIGS. 2 and 5) so as to be spaced inwardly in generally parallel relation to the inclined side wall of the cover 13. The plate member 27 is attached to the lower casing section 11 by means of a U-shaped mounting bracket 28 (FIG. 3) having a 'base portion 29 and a pair of spaced upstanding ears 31. The base portion 29 is secured, as by screws 32, to a depressed circular tray 33 extending across the lower casing section 11 and also providing a support for the motor-fan unit 21.

The plate member 27 has an arcuate transverse contour (FIG. 6) to conform to the side wall curvature of the cover 13 and to imp-art stiffness and strength to the structure. Moreover, as described below, the transverse curvature of the plate member 27 accommodates and conforms to the curvature of the bowed collar portion of the filter bag when the latter is installed on the bag holder 26.

The upright lateral edges of the plate member 27 are bent inwardly to provide side flanges 34 which are pivotally secured at their lower ends, as by rivets 36, to the upright bracket ears 31. The main body portion of the plate member 27 terminates at a lower edge 37 in spaced relation above the bracket base 29 to allow sufficient clearance for outward pivoting of the plate member 27. However, the side flanges 34 depend below the pivots 36, as at 35 (FIGS. 3 and 5), for abutment with the bracket base 29 so as to limit the inward pivotal position of the plate member 27. The side flanges 34 also have centrally located curved recesses 38 (FIG. 3) for the purpose hereinafter described. The plate member 27 also has a central opening 39 (FIGS. 4 and 5) adapted to be aligned with the air inlet 22 when the cover 13 is closed. An annular resilient seal or gasket 41 of sponge rubber or the like is mounted in the opening 39 and projects axially at each side of the plate member 27.

Referring now to FIGS. 8 and 9, the filter bag of the present invention is indicated generally at 46 and is of the type which is initially folded flat with a plurality of pleats 47 formed in the side walls thereof in a well known manner so as to permit expansion of the bag during operation of the cleaner. The bag 46 is elongated in shape and is closed at each end with a centrally disposed mouth or inlet 48 (FIGS. 4 and 5) in one of the flat walls 49 thereof. A rectangular mounting collar 51 of stifi but bendable material, such as cardboard or the like, is adhesively secured to the filter bag wall 49 around the bag mouth 48, the collar 51 having an opening 52 overlying the bag mouth 48. The bag wall 49 beneath the opening 48 has a plurality of radial slits thereby forming triangular gores 50 (FIGS. 5 and 8) which are folded inwardly to provide the bag mouth 48. The opposite marginal edges of the collar 51 facing the ends of the bag are free end unattached with respect to the bag wall 49, as indicated at 53 in FIG. 4, and are provided with outwardly projecting tabs 54 (FIG. 8) adapted to be received in the recesses 38 of the plate member 27, as will now be described.

To install the bag 46, the user grasps the collar 51 and bends or curves the same in the manner shown in broken lines in FIG. 6 in order to fit the collar between the side flanges 34 of the plate member 27. The lateral distance between the side flanges 34 is slightly less than the width of the collar 51 so that the collar must be deflected or bowed, as shown, in order to insert the same in the bag holder. The material, such as cardboard, of the collar 51 has a certain degree of resilience when in the bowed condition of FIG. 6 so that the side edges of the collar 51 may be snapped into retaining position within the flanges 34 and are thereby held firmly in place as shown in FIG. 7. The tabs 54 are received in the cut-outs or recesses 38 of the side flanges so as to prevent vertical displacement of the collar 51 and to insure proper registry between the bag mouth and the air inlet 22. Moreover, the tabs 54 function as convenient finger pieces to facilitate handling of the bag during installation and removal. As shown in a slightly exaggerated degree in FIG. 7, the inwardly projecting portion of the gasket or seal 41 is compressed by contact with the bag collar 51 so that the bowed collar is urged resiliently outwardly and the side edges thereof are thereby snugly retained in engagement with the flanges 34. As previously pointed out, the curvature of the plate member 27, and also the gasket 41 mounted thereon, accommodates and conforms to the curvature of the bowed collar 51 when the latter is mounted on the bag holder 26.

After securement of the bag collar 51 in the holder 26 as just described, the closed end portions of the bag extending on either side of the collar may be curved in opposite directions (FIG. 7) around the motor-fan unit 21 within the confines of the cleaner casing so as to provide a generally circular bag configuration surrounding the motor-fan unit (FIG. 1). If desired, the plate member 27 may be pivoted outwardly, i.e. to the left as viewed in FIGS. 2 and 5, in order to facilitate installation or removal of a bag, this feature being particularly convenient during removal of a full bag. The depending legs 35 on the flanges 34 provide a stop means for limiting inward pivotal movement of the plate member 27 and thereby retaining the bag holder in generally upright position for proper registry of the bag mouth 48 with the air inlet 22.

When the cover 13 is closed, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 5, the side wall portion of the cover adjacent the air inlet 22 engages the outwardly projecting portion of the gasket 41 so as to compress the latter slightly and insure an airtight seal. Although the depending lower ends 35 of the flanges 34 provide a stop action to limit inward pivoting of the plate member 27, nevertheless, the plate member 27 has essentially a cantilever type support which may be arranged to provide a slight degree of resilient inward yield when the cover 13 is closed against the gasket 41, thereby further insuring a tight seal at this juncture. Thus, it will be seen that at the inner side of the plate member 27 the gasket 41 is compressed between the plate member and the inwardly bowed bag collar 51 and at the outer side of the plate member 27 the gasket 41 is compressed between the plate member and the side wall of the cover 13 so that the air pasage between the inlet 22 and the bag 46 is sealed against leakage.

In use, dirty air is drawn inwardly by the motor-fan unit 21 through a cleaning tool and hose (not shown) connected to the inlet 22-24 and the filtered air passes through the walls of the permeable bag 46 and thence through a filter disk 56 (FIG. 2) at the top of the motorfan unit and is discharged from the lower section 11 through an outlet (not shown).

Although the invention has been described with particular reference to a specific structural embodiment thereof, it is to be understood that various modifications and equivalents may be resorted to Without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a suction cleaner including a lower casing section mounting a motor-fan unit and a movable upper casing section comprising a cover having a dirty air inlet, the combination of a generally upright bag holder having spaced side flanges, means pivotally supporting the bag holder on the lower casing section in a position adjacent the air inlet when the cover is closed, a filter bag having a mouth in a wall thereof for registry with the air inlet, a mounting collar secured to said bag around said mouth and having spaced edge portions engageable by said flanges for securing the bag to the holder, said holder being pivotally movable in one direction outwardly of the lower casing section when the cover is open for facilitating attachment and detachment of the bag collar with respect to the holder, and stop means limiting pivotal movement of the holder in the opposite direction inwardly of the lower casing section whereby the holder is retained in generally upright position for registry of the bag mouth with the air inlet when the cover is closed and said bag and collar are mounted in operative relation on said holder.

2. The structure of claim 1 further characterized in that the said lower casing section includes a transverse support for said motor-fan unit, said holder comprises a generally upright plate member having its lower end portion pivotally connected to said support, and said stop means comprises abutment means cooperating between said lower end portion of said plate member and said support.

3. The structure of claim 1 further characterized in that said holder has an opening for registry with the air inlet and a compressible annular seal is mounted on said holder around said opening and projecting axially therefrom, the distance between said flanges being slightly less than the distance between said edge portions of said collar whereby, when said bag and collar are mounted in operative relation on said holder, the collar must be deflected toward the axially projecting portion of said seal to permit engagement of said edge portions with said flanges, and said seal thereby being compressed by the deflected collar whereby said edge portions thereof are resiliently urged into engagement with said flanges.

4. The structure of claim 3 further characterized in that said holder is transversely curved between said flanges and said collar is adapted to be bowed into compressing engagement with said seal whereby the curvature of the holder accommodates and substantially conforms to the curvature of the bowed collar.

5. In a suction cleaner including a casing having a dirty air inlet, the combination of a bag holder supported within the casing adjacent the air inlet and having an opening for registry with the air inlet, a compressible annular seal mounted on said holder around said opening and projecting axially therefrom, a pair of spaced flanges on said holder disposed at opposite sides of said opening, a filter bag having a mouth in a wall thereof for registry with said opening and with the air inlet, and a mounting collar of relatively stiff but bendable material secured to said bag around said mouth and having spaced edge portions receivable by said holder between said flanges, the distance between said flanges being slightly less than the distance between said edge portions of said collar whereby,

when said bag and collar are mounted in operative relation on said holder, the collar must be deflected toward the axially projecting portion of said seal to permit engagement of said edge portions with said flanges, and said seal thereby being compressed by the deflected collar whereby said edge portions thereof are resiliently urged into engagement with said flanges.

6. The combination of claim 5 further characterized in that said holder is transversely curved between said flanges and said collar is adapted to be bowed into compressing engagement with said seal whereby the curvature of the holder accommodates and substantially conforms to the curvature of the bowed collar.

7. The combination of claim 5 further characterized in that said flanges are provided with recesses and said edge portions of said collar are provided with tabs receivable in said recesses for securing the collar against displacement relative to said holder.

8. In a suction cleaner having a casing, the combination of a movable casing section having a dirty air inlet, a bag holder supported within the casing adjacent the air inlet and having an opening for registry with the air inlet, a compressible annular gasket mounted on said holder around said opening and projecting axially at opposite sides of said holder, a pair of spaced flanges on said holder disposed at opposite sides of said opening, a filter bag having a mouth in a wall thereof for registry with said opening and with the air inlet, and a mounting collar of relatively stifl but bendable material secured to said bag around said mouth and having spaced edge portions receivable by said holder between said flanges, the distance between said flanges being slightly less than the distance between said edge portions of said collar whereby, when said bag and collar are mounted in operative relation on said holder, the collar must be deflected toward said gasket to permit engagement of said edge portions with said flanges, said gasket thereby being compressed axially at one side of said holder by the deflected collar whereby said edge portions thereof are resiliently urged into engagement with said flanges and whereby to provide an airtight seal between said bag and said gasket, and said gasket being compressed axially at the other side of said holder by said movable casing section when the latter is closed whereby to provide an airtight seal between said air inlet and said gasket.

9. The combination of claim 8 further characterized in that said holder is transversely curved between said flanges and said collar is adapted to be bowed into compressing engagement with said gasket whereby the curvature of the holder accommodates and substantially conforms to the curvature of the bowed collar.

10. The combination of claim 8 further characterized in that said holder is mounted in said casing for limited resilient yielding movement for further compressing said gasket between said holder and said movable casing section.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,766,844 10/ 5 6 Humphrey.

2,771,152 11/56 Bramhall et a1.

2,781,103 2/ 5 7 Daiger et 21.

2,810,453 10/57 Kermnitz.

2,870,863 1/ 5 9 Bramhall -376 3,088,260 5/63 Seyfried 55374 HARRY B. THORNTON, Primary Examiner.

HERBERT L. MARTIN, GEORGE D. MITCHELL,

WALTER BERLOWITZ, Examiners. 

1. IN A SUCTION CLEANER INCLUDING A LOWER CASING SECTION MOUNTING A MOTOR-FAN UNIT AND A MOVABLE UPPER CASING SECTION COMPRISING A COVER HAVING A DIRTY AIR INLET, THE COMBINATION OF A GENERALLY UPRIGHT BAG HOLDER HAVING SPACED SIDE FLANGES, MEANS PIVOTALLY SUPPORTING THE BAG HOLDER ON THE LOWER CASING SECTION IN A POSITION ADJACENT THE AIR INLET WHEN THE COVER IS CLOSED, A FILTER BAG HAVING A MOUTH IN A WALL THEREOF FOR REGISTRY WITH THE AIR INLET, A MOUNTING COLAR SECURED TO SAID BAG AROUND SAID MOUTH AND HAVING SPACEDEDGE PORTIONS ENGAGEABLE BY SAID FLANGES FOR SECURING THE BAG THE HOLDER, SAID HOLDER BEING PIVOTALLY MOVABLE IN ONE DIRECTION OUTWARDLY OF THE LOWER CASING SECTION WHEN THE COVER IS OPEN FOR FACILITATING ATTACHMENT AND DETACHMENT OF THE BAG COLLAR WITH RESPECT TO THE HOLDER, AND STOP MEANS LIMITING PIVOTAL MOVEMENT OF THE HOLDER IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION INWARDLY OF THE LOWER CASING SECTION WHEREBY THE HOLDER IS RETAINED IN GENERALLY UPRIGHT POSITION FOR REGISTRY OF THE BAG MOUHT WITH THE AIR INLET WHEN THE COVER IS CLOSED AND SAID BAG AND COLLAR ARE MOUNTED IN OPERATIVE RELATION ON SAID HOLDER. 